Rolling or sliding card file



Dec. 18, 1934. A. J. KOTCHER ROLLING OR SLIDING CARD FILE Filed Jan. 6, 1933 mw 5155/? Tel ITOTUHE Patented Des. 18,1934

- iron srATEs ENl QFHCE 1,984,435 EUILLHNG ,OB. SLIDING CARD FILE ware Application January 6,

d Claims.

invention relates to a novel type of filing card cabinet, and to a combination of such cabinet and a table or writing desk adapted to be used in conjunction therewith.

Heretofore, it has been customary to employ ordinary filing cabinets in which a series of drawers are disposed in stacked relation and at various heights within which are filed cards, or the like containing information. When it was necesr .sary to secure information from those cards it was customary to remove the card from the tile and carry it to a suitable writing desk or the like where the desired information was taken therefrom. This type of equipment is objectionable because the various drawers are disposed at various heights and it isimpossible to provide a suitable table top or the like so disposed with respect to the various heights or drawers that the information may be taken therefrom conveniently without bodily movement on the part of the operator.

By my invention 1 have eliminated the necessit-y for the operator to move from a single position by providing a cabinet and a table associated therewith in such manner that all of the e cards are presented to the operator at a uniform height and at a height with respect to the height of the table whichfacilitates copying information therefrom.

One object of my invention consists in providing a novel combination of filing cabinet and table which expedites the copying of information from the various cards with a minimum of eifort on the part of the operator.

Another object of myinvention consists in providing a novel type of filing cabinet in which all of a very large number of cards are disposed at a uniform height and are presented to the eye of a stationary operator in substantially uniform positions.

A third object of my invention consists in providing a novel combination of filing card cabinet and table wherein the table is substantially equal in height to the tops of all of the cards contained within the cabinet.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a filing cabinet constructed in'accordance with my invention.

1933, Serial No. 656,451

Fig. .2 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. l, the section being taken along the line m m thereof.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the card 5 containing trays employed in the cabinet and constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one complete card containing tray and a portion of a second tray mounted in position on the large tray or cabinet illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a pair of filing cabinets and an intermediately disposed desk or table adapted for the use of a number of operators simultaneously illustrating one manner in which a battery of filing cabinets may be arranged.

In the structure illustrated in the drawing is a relatively long rectilinear tray 1 provided with supporting legs 2. Mounted on this tray are a a plurality of relatively short rectilinear trays or cars 3 adapted for the reception of filing cards. Each of these short trays is provided with downwardly extending flanges 4 on each side thereoi on which are mounted roller members or wheels 6 which engage and are supported by track members 5 mounted in the long tray 1.

The long tray 1 comprises a fiat substantially horizontal bottom portion 10 and four side walls 11 secured thereto. These side walls are vertically disposed and serve to confine the movement of the cars 3 therebetween. The upper edges of the side walls 11 are each curved into a head, as illustrated at 12, which provides a relativeLv strong edge and presents a smooth surface, thus preventing iniury to the hand of the operator. The track members 5 are secured to the bottom portion 10 of the tray 1. Each of these track members consists of a flat horizontally disposed portion 13 on which the wheels 6 roll and integral flange portions 14 which serve as a guide to the rollers 6, thus keeping the movement of the cars 3 parallel to the sides of the large tray 1. Of, those tracks 5 disposed in the central portion of the tray 1, the flanges 14 may be connected together, as illustrated at 15. The flange portions 14 of the two tracks at the sides of the tray 1 are connected to the side walls 11 by a connecting portion 16, thus adding to the rigidity of the tray.

The short trays or cars 3 each comprises a bottom portion 20 and integral side walls 21 at the sides and ends thereof. Partition members 22 serve to divide the cards disposed in the trays 3 into groups or divisions. The downwardly extending flanges 4 which support the wheels or rollers 6 constitute a portion or a sheet metal member of Z shape cross-section, a central portion 23 of which engages the bottom portion of the tray 3 adjacent the side edges and the other leg 24 of which engages the side wall 21, thus constituting a reintorcing member for the tray 3.

As illustrated in Fig.v 6, the trays 1 are intended to contain a plurality of the short trays 3, which are approximately half, or slightly more than half, 01' the length of the trays 1, theobiect being that an operator situated at approximately the central portion of the length of the tray 1 may move the trays 3 longitudinally thereof, thus pre senting each of the filing cards to the eye or the operator at approximately the same point and the same height. Two or more long trays 1 may be arranged in spaced side-by-side relationship with a table top or desk 30 located therebetween and intermediate their ends for the convenience of an operator. The table top 30 is preferably secured to the inner side wall of adjacent long trays but it may be stationarily located with respect to the long trays in any suitable manner.

It will be apparent that this arrangement of the table top and the movable trays 3 gives to the opas to facilitate the copying of information there-- from onto paper disposed on the table top 30. The relative lengths oi the long trays l and short trays 3 permit all portions of the short trays of the various adjacent long trays to be transversely aligned within the front and rear bounding planes of the table, thus permitting an operator to conveniently compare the data of a plurality of cards located in diverse short trays.

Although I have illustrated but a single form of my invention and havedescribed in detail several applications thereofy'it willbe apparent to those skilled inthe art that my invention is not so limited but that various modifications and changes may be eifected therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A filing cabinet comprising a relatively long rectilinear tray comprising a substantially horizontal bottom portion and substantially vertical walls, and a plurality of relatively short rectilinear trays disposed within said long tray .in side-by-side relationship, said short trays being individually movable longitudinally of said long tray.- g

2. A filing cabinet comprising a relatively long rectilinear tray comprising a substantially horizontal bottom portion and substantially vertical walls, a plurality of pairs of tracks disposed on said bottom portion and extending longitudinally thereof, and a plurality of relatively short rectilinear trays disposed within said long tray in side-by-side relationship, each of said short trays being mounted on a pair, of tracks and being movable longitudinally thereon relative to each other and longitudinally of said long tray.

3. A filing cabinet comprising a relatively long rectilinear tray comprising a substantially horizontal bottom portion and substantially vertical short trays being adapted for the reception of filing cards disposed transversely therein, each of said short trays being disposed on a pair of said tracks and being movable longitudinally thereon relative to each other.

4. A filing cabinet comprising a relatively long rectangular tray, a plurality of comparatively short trays disposed in said long tray in side-byside relationship, and means shiitably supporting said short trays on said long tray and confining the movement of said short trays to a course extending longitudinally of said long ,tray, said short trays being movable relative to each other and substantially all portions thereof being alignable transversely with each other within a section of said long tray.

' ALBERT J. KOTCHER. 

